Split-foot knitting machine



Aug. 1.2, 19471.

|`.v H. c. GREEN rAl.

SPLIT-FOOT KITTING MACHINE Filed oct. 18, 19:59

10 Sheets-Sheet 2 Plas.

TLV

Aug. 12, 1941. i l. H. c. GREEN Erm.

.SPLIT-FOOT KNITTING MACHINE Filed oct; 18, 1939 io sheets-sheet 4 Eammefz'mg 7F07 IIIII I l Il! Q f x G l AE Allg. 12, 1941. H. c. GREEN mL 2,252,564

PLIT-Foofr KNITTING MACHINE Filed Ot. 1B, 1939 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 v gg o* 3y jv [R A jrry* y X66/e552? 1% EMEA/@STEM Aug. 12, 1941. l. H. c. GREEN ETAL 2,252,564

SPLIT-FOOT KNITTING MACHINE l v .Filed ot. 1S, 1959 1o sheds-sheet 7 r--g- 12 1941- l. H. C. GREEN ETAL 2,252,564

SPLIT-FOOT KNITT ING MACHINE Filed Oct. 18, 1939 10 Sheets-Sheet 8 F16. 10.*. N Flc. il, Fla/2. Y

Aug. 12, 1941.

|. H. c. GREEN Erm.

SPLIT-FOOT KNITTING MACHlINE Filed Oct. 18, 1939 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 Patented Aug. 12, 1941 siLl'r-roorfxNrrrrNG MACHINE Isaac H; Ci Green, Central Falls, and Eugene St.

Pierre, Pawtucket, R. I., assignors to 4Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R..A

, tion of Massachusetts I a corpora- Application October 18, 1939, Serial `l\lo.ll30I),058

(Cl.`66f41) l ,9 Claims.. YThis case concerns an 'invention applicable` to split-foot knitting' machines and wherein elas-` tic tops maybe'knitted in conjunction with the well-known split-foot.- The invention is to beV described withA respect to the accompanying iigures of drawing wherein like numerals areap-I plied to corresponding partsand wherein:

` arisen and have been solved in amanner which will. be evident as the following disclosure pro- Fig.V 1 is an elevationshowing parts of a splity,

foot knitting machineas seen from the-front and wherein the invention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing certain partsV oi the machine as seen-from the auxiliary side; Fig. 3 `isja similar view taken at the right hand or'main side; i i I Fig. 4 is a' plan view of the feeding levers-and binders as employed;-

carrier ring, yarn I Fig.J 5 is a sectional `view through the cylinder 'and showing certain cams and part of their controlling means, which camsfunction upon needlejacks;I

Fig. 6 is a detail showing `an eyelet closing cam, a needle dividing cam and part of the controlling Imeans for the latter;

Fig'. 7 4is'a detail of a so-called'front jack ca and part of the controllingA means for the same; Fig.' 8 is a plan ofthe sinker cap and sinker cams, parts being broken away to show the cams,

this -machine will producea ltuck stitchY top such as described in co-pending application `Serial $295,095, led September l14, 1939.l In the knitting of such a simulated rib, elastic garter :top

on va split Viootmachine, certain problems have grasses.

- Referring-to the iigures of drawings, especially Figs.- 1, 2, Band 4,. atypical split-foot knittingv machine has been' illustrated vhaving a frame` I,

.circular base 2, needle cylinder 3,.sink ehead 4 and sinker cam cap 5. There are two ieeding points and adjacent `each of these feeding points a set of Stitch cams such as is normally employed in this type otmachine. A pluralityl of yarnv guides generally 'designated by numeral Ii are pivoted at 1 at the main side of the machine,k saidY yarn guides being controlled by the usual levers -8 which connect to and -arecontrolled. through a series of wires extending down- 'wardly in brackets and being moved by certain suitab1e-cams on a main -cam drum such the auxiliary, center sinker cam being shown in a withdrawn or inactive position;

4Fig. 9 is a similar View showing the center sinker cam in active position; Figs. 10 through 15 are views showing various functions of the machine as they apply to-knitting of an elastic top and cooperating parts of a stocking;

l certain cams on a main cam drum for controlling the in the instep of, the' stocking. 'A second and -'These levers II and'l3 are pivotedat l5 and jacks employed;Y

. VFig. 19 isa diagrammatic view :showing needle and jack'butt pathways at that point in the knitting cycle whereatthe so-called eyeletvclosin'g cam is vfunctioning; v

Fig. 20 is a 'similar .diagrammaticview` `but showing .needle and jack"butt pathwaysduring 4knitting an elastic top; and

Fig. 21 is a conventionalgvieW-of asplit-foot article of 'hosiery' wherein an elastic top has been knitted such as might be knitted by the machine herein des'c'zribed;v i

The elastic top which is` to be applied to a lcircular, seamless, split-foot stocking and which the machine herein described isadapted to produceA is to Abe; like or similarto. that described in St. Pierre Patent `ail-'2,131,729l -In addition to as disclosed in United States Patent #933,443.

While the said levers 6 function at the main side within appropriate guiding means in an extension of .the carrier ring il), at the opposite side' (auxiliary side) two yarn feeding vlevers have been-provided, the lever II serving to feed a non-elastic yarn. I2, that yarn being knitted similar feeding lever I3 has vthreaded therethrough angelastic yarn' I4 which isto be incorporated in the stocking top `to serve as a garter and to draw the fabric 'into a rib appearance.

normally are urged into a raised or inactive position by springs-l6, pins H, Il'. I

Theselevers have outwardly and downwardly extendingprojections to whichv are attached hardened'contact pieces I-.B and'l'9. `Abell crank lever pivotedt at 20 and having a vertical arm '42| and a horizontal arm 22 serves by an inwardly projecting end ofthe arm 2| engageable l yunderV the contact piece@v I8, to 'move lever I I against the tensionof spring I6 to a feeding position. A second bell crank lever pivotedl opposite the point 'Ml` has a' vertical arm 23 and a horizontally .extending arm 24"'simi1arto those indieated at 2]' fand122. `A n` inwardly projecting end of armv 23 engages beneath contact piece I!!v to control theelastic yarn feeding lever -I3 l in a similar fashion. the'structure speciiically described'in that patent 55 l Referring to Figs.l 1,119- and' 20 cam platef25 IS 'engaging the projecting in amore or less conventional manner.

carries the usual main cam block having thereon a front stitch cam 26, back stitchcam 21, center cam 28 and guard cam 29. The usual narrowing picks function in a manner well-known.

' The entire cam block may be withdrawn at desired times as onconventional Banner machines and separate means is provided for withdrawing the front stitch cam at desired points in `the knitting.

At the auxiliary side' an auxiliary cam block is movable to and from an active position, the general construction of this cam block and cams thereon being described in United States Patents Nos. 2,083,027, 2,161,067 and 2,142,693. The usual widening picks arev mounted at that point and their operation is too well understood to be i necessary of further description at this time.

At the auxiliary side` of the machine the stitch cams 30, 3| and center guard cam 33 function The stitch cams are movable only as a unit with the cam block itself, while center guardcam 33 is independentlymovable by mechanism hereinafter tol be described. Superposed wing cam 34 is fixed at the inner end of a stem 35, Fig. 1, and is 'a conventional part of such machines.

At the front of the machine a block generally indicated at 36 carries the so-called instep-cams which function on long needle butts to raise themprior to knitting in the heel or toe or to return. them to Aactive level .upon completion of either of those elements. Reference is made to United States Patent #2,088,027 for a. 4full description of these cams, their function and mechanism for actuating them at proper intervals.

-A main cam shaft31 has at its left hand end a drum' 38 to which are attached certain cams hereinafter to be described in greater detail with for yarns at-the main side. A second binder generally indicated by numeral 42 serves to bind the non-elastic yarn I2@y at the auxiliary side; The elastic yarn is. not taken within a binder as this particular machine has been constructed. It is practical to oat the elastic yarn at such times as it is not being incorporated in the fabric and -while a slightly greater amount of elastic isvused atacarv being described in Patent #2,083,027. Since jacks are placed beneath every other needle and are to function for other. purposes. those jacks have been specially constructed as shown in Fig. 18

tohave an extra short butt 46 and a long butt 41, the extra short butt being at the same level as the butts 44 and 45 while the butt 41 is at a different and higher level. According to the set-up, two of the jacks are to have butts 41 and in addition the extra short butts '46. Those `lacks would be numbers I and 3 of the -eyelet closing group while the jack intermediate them (Number 2 jack) would have only the upper butt 41. The manner in which these jacks are caused to function in' the various parts of the knitting which they control will be described in greater detail at a later point in the disclosure.

Several cams function upon these jacks, one of -which is termed a front jack cam and is indicated that way, the amount is more or less negligible.

It is contemplated to use a separate binder for the elastic or to use a binder so constructed as to serve both the elastic and inelasticyarns at that'side.

. The usual needles and sinkers are lemployed and according to one preferred form of theinfvention, jacks are to be used beneath everyother needle, these ja'cks being of long butt and short butt types correspondingto the long andK short butt groups of needles. These jacks have been one side of the group itis customary to employ about three needles specially controlled by jacks knitting, this function and manner of so doing shown in Figs. 16-18, the jacks being generally 'or closing the eyelet upon certain changes in the by numeral 48, Figs. 1, 5, 7 and 20. That jack cam is aflixed to one arm 49 of a bent lever pivoted at 58 on a bracket 5| attached to the base 2. This lever is bent asillustrated in Fig. 7 so that the cam 48 inclines at approximately 45 degrees and will, when projected to the position of Fig.5, raise all jacks by contact with the butts 44, 4 5 or 46. The height of this cam is such as to raisev jacks and attendant needles to that point to which they -would normally be raised if lthe front stitch cam were in position, that is, to a latch clearing level. The said lever has a second arm 52 projecting outwardly and engaged by a more or less vertically extending arm 53 of-a second lever pivoted at 54. This second lever has another short, projecting arm 55, to which is attached a depending link or bar 56 which, as shown in Fig. 1, extends down through a guiding element 51to be engaged by a cam 58 onthe drum 38, Figs. 1 and 13.

An angular'stop'53 is fixed to the arm 52 and has in its downwardly depending part a stop screw 60 engageable with the side of bracket 5| whereby an adjustment may be set so that the cam 46 will move inwardly close to the cylinder and for proper contact of jack butts. A spring 6|, Figs. '5 and 7, tends to maintain the cam in active position except when, under the inuence of cam 58l on the drum 38. bar 56 is moved upwardly swinging lever arm 53 to the left, Figs. 5

and 7, thereby withdrawing the cam against the tension of said spring 8|.

An eyelet closing cam having two cam elements 62V and 68 is fixed to one endl of lever 64 capable of swinging on a pivot 65 at the top of a bracket 66, Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6. This lever is guided by the shoulder screws 61`which passes through a slot 68. At the other end lever 64 has attached thereto a link 68 which projects over to the, opposite side of the machine frame and is under the controll of mechanism heretofore described and claimed in United States Patents Nos. 2,083,027, 2,161,067 including a lever 10, link 1|, Fig. 3, and other mechanism not necessary to describe at this point. j

'I'his eyelet closing cam functions at such times as it would normally function in knitting any sort of split-foot hosiery, but the cam itself has been constructed in a particular fashion for the purpose of controlling three ljacks having butts 41, Fig. 18, and for allowing other jack butts to pass along at a lowerm the cam at thattime.' For is made in two that purpose the cam parts including an outer cam st level unaffected by, Y I

. of cams 95 or 96, Figs. 1, 10 and 1l.

while the inner cam 68 is cut ofi.' at its lower part leaving a sufilcient 'space for jack butts to Pass beneath as. willbe described more thoroughly with respect to the operation and Fig. 19.

` A third cam known as the needle dividing cam completes the group of cams which function upon needle jacks. This dividing cam 12, Figs. 5, 6 and 20 is nxed at the inner end of a stem 13 which is guided within an appropriate slot in bracket 66.v The vstem has a projection 14V at its outer end engageable by an arm 16 of a lever pivoted at 16 on an extension 11 which is in turn attached at the side of bracket 66.' The second arm 18 of the lever connects by a link. 19 to an angularly bent lever 88 pivoted at the side of the machine at a bracket generally indicated by numeral 8|, Fig. 5.` This lever 88 has a depending bar 82 attached adjacent its forward end which bar extends downwardly to engage a cam 88 on the drum 38, Figs. 1 and 12. Cam 12 is normally maintained in innermost position by tension spring 84, Figs. 5 and 6. At such times as it is to be withdrawrncam 83 will raise the bar 82 and by means of the mechanism just described will draw'the cam outwardly to an inactive position. When in its innermost position all jacks would be raisedso that prior to appreaching the elastic yarn feed, corresponding needles will be raised high enough to take said elastic yarn intheir hooks.

It will be noted that cam 83 has a step 85 at one end and at the other end a corresponding step 86. The purpose of these will be described more fully with respect to operation of the machine.

Yarn feeding levers |I and I3 and those cooperating levers 22 and`24 have been described, it being understood that the said levers II and I3 are maintained in raised or inactive position except at such times as moved to feeding positionv by pulling downwardly upon the appropriate lever arm 22 or 24. Two links 81 and 88 connect to the arms 22 and 24, respectively, andare in' turn attached to levers 89 and 98, Figs. 1 and2. These levers 89 and 88 are pivoted within' a bracket 9| and at `their forward ends are attached to depending links or bars 92 and 93. is controlled by-a cam 94 while the bar 83 is affected at appropriate times by one or the other l ,Cam 94 controls the lever |3 so as to feed the elastic yarn at appropriate intervals while the cams 95 and A.86 ail'ect lever causing it to feed its yarn in the knitting of said partsof a split-footstocking. namely, in the instep opposite the highsplice and sole of the foot.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 14, part of a mechanism for controlling the auxiliary center guard Thebar 92 cam is shown. A series ofcams 91, 98 and 88 function upon a bar |88 connected to a lever I8| to move thesaid center cam through other connecting means including the link |82, lever arm |88 anda spindle |84 passing through the support at the main side of themachine located beneath plate 28. This spindle |84l passes through to the back ofthe machine and by another lever and a link connected to the-horizontally disposed lever |86, Flg. 1. controls the movement of said center cam 88, Fig. 19. This center cam functions during the knitting of a stocking top, in the high-splice and in the foot. A

lmore thorough descriptionof operation as conf' trolled by cams on drum 88 will be included inl a later paragraph.

At times the front stitchsca-m 26 at the main butt engaging position.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, the sinker cam cap generally indicated by numeral 5 has been shown in greater detail and the sinker cams I |2,-| I3 and I|4 at the main side are shownv imparting a stitch wave I I5 to sinker butts at that side.

the other side there are'the usual split-foot side sinker cams I|6 and liland the auxiliary center sinker cam ||8 which is movable as in this type of split-footfmachine. As shown in Eig. 8, at which time no yarn would be knitted at the auX- iliary side, that sinker cam I|8 would be projected inwardly by mechanism disclosed in patents numbered 2,883,02'1 and 2,142,693 so that the sinker butts are `unaffected and sinker nlbs hold the fabric downon the needles. In Fig. 9 that cam II8 hasbeen moved outwardly to impart to sinkers a stitch wave as their butts pass vin the pathway I I9. This cam II8 assumes the position shown in Fig'. 9 when the split-foot yarn is feeding and also when the elastic yarn feeds at thatside.

Operation In Figs. `19 and 20 pathways of needle and jack butts have been `shown during certain phases in the knitting cycle. In Fig. 20 knitting is shown as it takeslplace during the knitting of a top with elastic incorporated therein. At the main side of the machine front stitch cam 26 has been withdrawn since the barv I I8 has risen upon cam` I I I, Fig. 1,5. The remaining cams arein active position at that side and a yarn fed through the l yarn guiding linger 6 will feed to the hooks of all needles as they pass through the cams at that side of the machine. Cam 48 will be in active position at the startof knitting in the top if asocalled tuck top is to be knitted. Cam 48 is moved inwardly when lever 51 drops from cam 58, Fig. 13. .Jack butts will move from a level at |28 to a level above cam 48-indicated by numeral II2 I..

Since jacks are provided beneath every other needle, those needles -will'r'nove from a level at |22 as they p ass along raise cam |23 to an elevation at |24 which is at a corresponding height,

. that is, the lsame height to which needles would be raised if front stitch cam 26.were in position. AThose needles which do nothave jacks beneath them pass along at the level |22' to take yarn and those needles are merelyr accumulating loops since their latches f have not been cleared. Stitches are drawn as needles pass down stitch cam 21.

At the auxiliary side stitch cams 38 and 3| are in active position while center guard cam 83 has been moved inwardly against the cylinder as lever |88 moves up on cam 91. Dividing cam 12 is moved inwardly against the cylinder as bar"- 82, Fig. 12, drops from cam 83. That cam first moves inwardly onshort'butts as the bar drops y fed by yarn feeding lever |3 and will draw that yarn into knitted stitches as needles pass beneath cams 33 andl 30. The level |21 is a latch clearing level so. that the elastic 'stitches thus drawn are actuallyv drawn through the last knitted plain yarn loops drawn at the main side. Plain yarn loops onintermediate needles are not affected at this side of the machine.

The cam 48 is also affected during the knitting of so-called breaking thread courses knitted prior to starting the .elastic top. At that time the breaking thread is knitted on every other needle sothat as cam 26 is withdrawn, only those needles having jacks beneath them will take the breaking thread andknit it. l

Afterknitting the tuck top, it being preferable to knit two series of tuck courses, the stitch cam 26 will be projected in and cam 48 may be withdrawn. Cam 26 will be projected inwardlybetween the series of tuck courses. It would do no harm to allow cam 48 to remain in for the duration of knitting the entire top, although that is not necessary. At any points throughout or at -the end of the top, cam 26 may again be withdrawn, 48 being projected inwardly and other series of tuck' stitches knitted, the method and fabric thus being produced being fully described in" co-pnding application Serial #295,095. f

At certain phases of knitting in split-work it is desirable to control a group of three needles to take an extra yarn to produce an overlap thereby preventing -an eyelet in the Aflnished fabric. That occurs at certain yarn changes land at strokes in a clockwise direction of knitting. At

that time all cams are in needle butt engaging position at both feeding points-and to effect this eyelet closing the so-called eyelet closing cam 62 is projected to a position for engaging threeL butts 41 on jacks 43. As before described a cam 63 has been attached to the inner surface of cam 62 so that in effect, cam 63 acts upon these butts 41 in conjunction -with cam 62, the other butts 44, 45 and 46 passing beneath this cam 63 so that no jacks other than the three mentioned will 'be raised at this time.

Needle butts move along over raise cam |25, rise up cam 21, and take yarn and knit beneath cams 29 and 26. Only those needles which knit .at the main side in split-work are thus affected. Jacks are passing along so that butts 44, 45 and 4|i are moving in pathway. |28 while butts 41 move ina slightly higher pathway |26. After passing beneath stitch cam 26, the needles that knitted at the main side move up raise cam |23 to reach the level |22, then pass beneath cams 30 and 3|. The opposite group of needles would, of course, knit at the auxiliary side, but that is not being shown since it is not necessary to illustrate all the various pathways' for the points herein Referring to Figs. 10 and 11 the split-foot'yarn fed by lever H is controlled in the high-splice by c am 95 and in the foot of the stocking by cam 96. The elastic yarn fed by lever I3 is under the control ofcam 94, Fig. 1l. Three cams on drum 38Y aiect movements of the auxiliary center guard cam, those cams being shown in Fig. 14. Cam B Tfunctions while elastic is knitted in the top, cam 98 in the high splice and cam 99 in the The auxiliary sinker center cam H8, Figs. 8 and 9, is automatically controlled as levers and I3 feeding the split-foot and elastic yarns are moved to and from feeding position. The control for that cam has been described in priory patents, one' or more of which have been men; tioned above with respect to this particular cam.

In Fig. 21 an anklet has been illustrated having short leg portion |32, a split foot having instep part |33, sole |34 and high splice |35. The heel |36' and toe |31 are such as are usually knitted on this type of hosiery. The top |38 Jis knitted as in St. Pierre Patent #2,131,720 and serves as a garter as well as being knitted to resemble true rib fabric. l

The invention has been described in a description of a preferred embodiment of the same, but many changes may occur to those skilled in the art but which would fall within the scope of the invention as originally conceived. The invention is dened in the following claims:

We claim:

l. In a knitting 'machine' the combination of means for knitting split fabric including two feeding stations, means thereat for feeding nonelastic yarns, means for feeding anv elastic yarn' 'atone of said feeding stations in combination Y with needle dividing means for lpresenting spaced needlesto take said elastic yarn and to knit itin combination with non-elastic yarn .knitted at the other feeding station.

2. In a knitting machine the combination of means for knitting split fabric including means for knitting non-elastic yarns at two separate feeding stations, means for feeding and rknitting an elastic yarn at one of said stations and at the other, means for knitting tuck stitches of a nonelastic yarn capable of being controlled selectively to knit such stitches throughout desired courses in which elastic yarn is incorporated.

3. In a knitting machine the combination of means for knitting split fabric including two separate feeding stations, means for feeding nonelastic yarns at said stations, and at one of them,

involved. Since it is desirable for three of those needles, butts of which pass beneath cam 30, to take yarn at the auxiliary side, the three jacks having butts 41 move up cams 62 and 63 so that jack butts 41 reach an elevation at |30 and needle butts anelevation at |3|. Hooks of those three needleswill take yarn from the yarn guide as shown. The remaining jacks having butts 44 and 45 are not alected by cams 62 or 63 merely passing along at the level |28, the butts passing beneath cam 63 in the clearance provided. The cam 63 is moved to such a position that the extra short butts 46 move up to pathway |26 but do not interfere with cam 63 in so doing.

an elastic yarn, means for dividing needles to take said elastic yarn and to incorporate it in the fabric at spaced wales and at the other of said feeding stations, means for controlling needles to knit tuck stitches of a non-elastic yarn at selected courses wherein elastic yarn is incorporated.

4. In a knitting machine the combination of means for knitting split fabric and means for incorporating an elastic yarn in plain fabric knitted byfeeding a nonfelastic yarn at one feeding station and an elastic yarn at another feeding station, said means for incorporating elastic yarn including means for dividing needles to re' ceive the elastic yarn including a dividing cam and jacks, all of said jacks which affect needles that take elastic yarn having a butt adjacent their lower end engageable with the dividing ca m, a cam in advance of the main yarn feeding station for engagement with said jack butts to raise needles to a latch clearing position for tucking and means forselectively moving said cam to and from butt engagingposition.

' 5. In a knitting machine the .combination of means for knitting split fabric including two feeding stations and knitting cams ateach of said stations, means for feeding non-elastic yarns at both stations and an elastic yarn at one of said stations, needle selecting means for raising that said needle dividing butts'l are not affected by the eyelet closing cam and eyelet closing are not 'affected by said dividing cam.

butts 6. In a knitting machine of the type described the combination oflan eyelet closing cam, Jacks serving to select needles forl eyelet closing and' also to select them for taking and knitting an elastic yarn having butts for each purpose, lthe construction of said-eyelet closing cam lbeing such that it will function only upon butts on jacks adapted to raise needles for eyelet closing and will permit butts which control selection for taking elastic yarn to'pass unaffected. v 7. In a knitting machine, the-combination of a needle dividing cam and an eyelet closing cam, jacks beneath needles adapted to raise certain needles for eyelet closin'gpurposes and at other times, to raise needles for knitting an elastic yarn, said jacks having two butts, one slightly above the other and the top butt longer than the bottom, means for moving the needle dividing cam inwardly to engage the bottom butts for raising needles to take elastic yarn, means for moving said dividing ycam to inactive position and otherV means for moving the eyelet closing caniv to a position for engaging the long butts at the upper position rbut for avoiding the lower or short e butts. v

8. In a split-foot knitting machine) an auxiiiary yarn feed having thereat means forfeed.-

ing an elastic yarn and separate means for feed- Y ing a non-elastic yarn, means for moving either of said yarns to feeding position selectively,

means for causing adjacentneedles to knit the non-elastic yarn and other means for causing only spaced needles to take and knit the elastic yarn when itis fed. Y f l 9. In combination in a. split-foot knitting machine, an eyelet closing cam, jacks having butts ofone length at one level, said jacks having another butt of a different and shorter length ata lower level, certain other jacks having at said lower level long butts equivalentin length to the butts first mentioned, said cam having a butt raising portion but being further cut away'at its lower-edge for allowing long butts at the lowermost level to pass without interference.

f ISAAC H.C. GREEN.

EUGENE ST. PIERRE. 

